What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Manager, Data Science - Institutional Analytics & Research position at Western Governors University and Careers?
If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.
Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.
The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.
At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:
Grade: Management_Executive 611 Pay Range: $141,900.00 - $255,500.00
Job Description
As a Senior Manager, Data Science, you’ll lead a talented team of Data Scientists and Analysts to design and implement AI/ML-powered models that transform faculty workflows. Your work will reduce manual effort, streamline academic processes, and enable personalized interventions that help faculty act with precision and efficiency. This is a high-impact leadership role that shapes WGU’s Data Science capability and drives automation across the academic experience.
What You’ll Do
- Lead a team of Data Scientists and Analysts to build predictive and prescriptive models that improve faculty decision-making
- Partner with cross-functional teams to integrate machine learning solutions into systems used daily by faculty and students
- Define and manage project plans for large-scale, complex initiatives, ensuring alignment with WGU’s strategic goals
- Oversee resource planning, stakeholder communication, and risk mitigation for high-visibility projects
- Collaborate with Data Engineering to develop ETL/ELT processes and data pipelines for analytics projects
- Drive continuous improvement through faculty feedback loops and ensure solutions deliver measurable impact
- Serve as a thought leader in Curriculum and Learning Analytics, fostering innovation and operational excellence across the university
What You’ll Bring
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field
- 7 years of experience in Data Analysis, Business Intelligence, Data Science, Statistics, Decision Intelligence, Machine Learning Research, or a related domain
- 3 years of experience in people leadership, including hiring, coaching, and performance management
- Advanced SQL proficiency and experience with data modeling (conceptual, logical, dimensional)
- Expertise in Python, R, and/or Natural Language Processing in an ML environment
- Strong experience with data visualization tools such as Tableau and Power BI
- Proven ability to collaborate effectively across multiple teams and stakeholders to deliver complex, high-impact projects
Bonus Points if You Have:
- Experience in Higher Education, competency-based learning, or online learning environments
- Knowledge of forecasting methods, classification algorithms, and advanced statistical modeling
Position & Application Details
Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.
How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday.
Additional Information
Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive.
Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at recruiting@wgu.edu.
Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.
Salary : $141,900 - $255,500